Hamilton Board hires lawyer, talks technology and Facebook

The Hamilton Board of Education hired its new lawyer Wednesday night, bringing in the latest new face to the district.

The board also discussed social media and technology policies that will be voted on at a later meeting.

The board hired attorney Joe Betley from the firm Capehart and Scotchard after receiving 10 proposals. Peter Fraschella, the district’s purchasing agent, said they had evaluated the bids on several criteria, such as the firm’s ability to handle the district’s workload, before choosing Betley. Fraschella said that the rate for Betley’s firm was not the lowest among the proposals.

Board Member Will Harvey also hinted that they need to get the new lawyer into his job as soon as possible, as the district could be filing legal action in the coming weeks.

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“Given the nature of some of the litigation we might be entering into, we may need a couple of extra days of lead time,” he said.

The previous firm, Destribats Campbell, had received contract renewals for years. Harvey said the firm had decades of district records they needed to get back for the new attorney to move forward.

Curriculum Director Michael Gilbert said the district needed to address the issues surrounding technology and its use in the classroom. The policy would allow students to, with school approval, use laptops, tablets and smartphones as a regular part of class.

He said the board will vote on the measure in a coming meeting.

“I think we have to find a way, and this discourse, is great to incorporate it rather than fight it,” he said. “Get those good ideas out and bring it back and do the right thing.”

Though several board members spoke up in support of the policy, others raised questions about how it would be implemented and its fairness.

Board Member Richard Kanka said he was concerned about students gaining an advantage over others through access to that technology, especially on tests and quizzes.

“Is every student going to have equal grounds here?” he said. “I want to make sure every child has the same opportunity.”

Remo Laragione, the Nottingham High School student representative, said the policy wouldn’t make it any easier for students to game the system.

“Cheating happens whether you’re allowed to use a phone or not,” he said.

Gilbert said cheating will still be against the rules, and any technology used “improperly” — including to cheat — can still be taken away from a student.

Board members also talked about setting a policy for teachers and staff use of social media. Gilbert said it focused on separating teachers’ personal use of social media from their profession.

For instance, under the proposed policy, teachers would not be allowed to represent themselves as representative of the district in any online postings, Gilbert said.

Superintendent James Parla said the district will take a look at the food services consultant’s services once the budget has been finished. The board will also finalize its search for a new auditor in the coming weeks.